Newsletter

New city council member to be selected

Capital improvements, a proposed zoning change and the selection of a new Topeka City Council member are among matters local governing bodies plan to take up this coming week.

The Shawnee County Commission will meet at 9 a.m. Monday in its chambers in Room B-11 of the county courthouse, 200 S.E. 7th.

The Topeka City Council will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday in its chambers at 214 S.E. 8th.

The city’s governing body, consisting of the eight council members and Mayor Larry Wolgast, intends to interview applicants and choose someone to temporarily fill the District 2 council seat left vacant May 9 when Councilman John M. Campos II resigned while facing an ouster action.

Residents next April will elect a council member to serve a four-year term representing District 2, which encompasses North Topeka and most of northeast Topeka’s Oakland community.

Three people have applied to fill the seat until then: Keri Strahler, 42, of 1015 N.E. Kellam Ave.; Katrina M. Bayless, 45, of 1115 N.W. Jackson; and Teddy John “T.J.” Brown, 53, of 521 N.E. Sumner. Brown held the District 2 council seat from February to April of 2013.

Council members also plan Tuesday to:

■ Hear a wrap-up presentation regarding matters affecting the city before this year’s Kansas Legislature.

■ Consider approving city manager Jim Colson’s proposed 2015-2017 capital improvement budget and 2015-2019 capital improvement program. Capital expenditures in the proposed CIB and CIP for the years involved total $55,474,451 for 2015, $73,743,532 for 2016, $55,552,720 for 2017, $67,414,347 for 2018 and $51,191,050 for 2019.

■ Consider a resolution that would authorize the issuance of bonds to finance projects in the CIB and CIP.

Colson indicated in his weekly report Thursday that the measure is “a standard resolution paired with the CIP.”

He wrote: “When proposing to issue revenue bonds for utility projects, State law requires that the governing body give the public an opportunity to protest the issuance of revenue bonds. The notice of intention is published in the Metro News. If at least 20 percent of the electorate submit a written protest to the Clerk within 15 days of publication, revenue bonds cannot be issued until an election is held.”

Votes from two-thirds of the governing body, including the mayor, are required to approve the resolution.

County commissioners plan Monday to consider changing zoning from “residential reserve” to “planned unit development district” for property Randal and Crystal Schiffelbein own at 2629 S.E. Shawnee Heights Road.

The move would free up the property for both residential and industrial use, thus enabling Schiffelbein Concrete Construction Inc. to continue to operate there.

Randal Schiffelbein told the Shawnee County Planning Commission on May 12 he hadn’t known the business was operating in violation of county zoning rules.

Planning commissioners voted 5-1 that day to recommend approval of the zoning change, provided the property owners comply with specific requirements laid out by the county.

Commissioners also plan to consider:

■ Authorizing the spending of $17,560.12 to finance six specific capital expenditure requests for maintenance and repairs at the Kansas Expocentre.

■ Authorizing the placement of four temporary four-way stop signs at the intersections of S.W. 21st and Indian Hills Road and S.W. 29th and Indian Hills Road. The signs would remain in place through the summer of 2014 as the city of Topeka makes repairs to Indian Hills Road between S.W. 21st and 29th streets.

■ Entering into an agreement with the Kansas Department of Transportation to inspect designated bridges. The contract would split inspection costs 80/20, with the 20 percent coming from the county’s special bridge fund.